One foxhole at a time

By Denis Storey

LifeHealthPro

Small victories, especially when they’re all you’ve got, have to be savored.

You have to get a few first downs before you make it to the goal line. And though it might take a little longer, a few back-to-back singles are just as good as a single home run.

So that’s what ran through my head as I read the news today, oh boy (with apologies to John and Paul). Federal regulators ruled employers could change insurers without giving up their grandfathered status. In a rare vote of solidarity, the Departments of Labor, Treasury, and Health and Human Services declared that forcing employers to stick with a particular plan just to keep their grandfathered status amounted to unfair competition (or a complete lack thereof).

Employers must be allowed to shop around, HHS announced in a statement, so they can help keep costs down while maintaining adequate coverage.

So, after nearly a year, someone in Washington realized, hmm, maybe an open and fair marketplace might be the best way to go after all.

Then again, I might just be taking my glass half-full philosophy a little too far this time. The war’s not over, by any means, but we can all breathe at least a little easier that this battle’s been won.